News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-20
THE SPY'S ORDEAL.

When the Peninsular war was at il
height, General Murat, who was in CON
mand OF the French troops at Madrid
desired to send dispatch of the graves
importance to General Junot at Lisbon
The distance was not great, but the coun
try through which the messenger woult
be obliged to travel was infested by
band of guerrillas who carried on an il
regular warfare on their own account
much to the annoyance and detriment 0
the French army. These lawless volun
teers fought from their ambuscades il
the forests and mountain passes with un
paralleled ferocIty, frequently surprisin.
detachments of the regular army anC
capturing their stores and ammunition
The heroic deeds of General Castanos. tn
guerilla commander n-chief, were echoed
throughout Europe, and it was vel
known that he gave no quarter to French
prisoners. Therefore General Mura
could lind no soldier DESTROYS of under
taking an GRAND so fraught with dan
ger.
In his dilemma he sought the advic,
OF Baron Stroganof, the Russian Embas
sador, who was friendly to the French
cause.
The Baron, being we'll aware of the
gravity of the situation, deliberated fol
several minutes; the result was the fol
lowing suggestion: send one of YOU
most reliable Polish lancers in Russian
uniform" he said, ''with verbal mes
sage to our Admiral, now in Lisbor
harbor. He, in turn, will communicate
with JunOt without arousing the slight
est suspicion on the part of the English
No doubt your courier will be arrested 6
score of times en- route; but as my
country has maintained neutral ground
thus far, it is not probable that the result
will be fatal. Castanos is too much of q
diplomat to risk the displeasure of Russia,
and, by observing the proper caution, ii
will not be difficult to deceive him."
General Murat was charmed with this
clever proposition, and at once ordered
the Captain of the Warsaw Lancers to
select from his company brave, reliable
fellow who could be trusted to undertake
the important mission.
Early on the following day, Lieutenant
Lackinsky, young Pole, eighteen years
of age, sought audience of the French
General, who explained the nature of the
service he required of the youth, with
out concealing the perils it would entail.
Lackinsky, nothing daunted declared
with .cOntempuous smile that he eagerly
awaited an opportunity to prove how
little he feared the guerrillas, and he was
prepared to set out at once on his
journey.
Pleased with the young Poles en-
thusiasm, as well as with his evident de-
sire to distinguish himself, the General
repeated with precision the message to
be carried to Junot
Baron Stroganoff's Russian dispatches
having been duly secured, the courier
started for the coast, completely armed
and disguised in the uniform of an Off
Ger Of the Cars guard.
Nothing of Importance occurred until
the afternoon of the second dav, when
ourhero entered defile in the mountains
near Talavera. He had not advanced
more than a quarter of mile when he
was met by half dozen guerillas, who,
without waiting to parley, roughly
dragged him from his horse, seized his
weapons. and led him to a chapel in a
cave hard by, where he found himself
face to face with the terrible Castanos
''Who are you?" asked the guerilla
chief, in French, while he angrily scruti-
nized the prisoner.
Alive to the danger of his position,
Lackinsky's heart failed him for an in
slant, but quickly recovering his pres
ence of mind, he fixed his eyes on his
interlocutors face with a meaningless
stare. Presently he answered in Ger
man: 81 do not understand.
Castanos called one of his officers, and
r%r,lF u IL,
ton in the prisoners tongue. Observ-
ing the utmost caution lest by an mad
vertent expression he might betray his
knowledge Of French, the Pole replied
to all the otficers's questions either IN
Russian or German.
Duringt the examination the chapel had
become crowded with guerillas, attracted
there by curiosity and a desire for ex-
citement. Each hung upon the prison
er's words, eager to detect the slightest
evidence of deception on his part.
Suddenly there was an interruption.
caused by the appearance of Castanos.
leading by the arm a peasant whom he
placed before the Pole, saying: "LoolSI
carefully at this man, and tell us wheth- |
er he-be Russian, German, or, as strong
iy suspect, a cursed French spy"
The peasant obeyed, and presently re-
piled, in a loud, decided tone: ''He is a
disguised Frenchman A few weeks
ago, when took load of hay to Mad
rid, this was the very officer who signed
my receipt"
Lackinsky betrayed no sign of fear,
and the expression of his countenance
did not vary, as he looked from one to
the other of the excited soldiers who |
surrounded him. They would have torn
him to pieces had not their general, dis |
couraged by the failure of his test, in
terfered
tMy friends" he loudly exclaimed,
nothing is yet proved against our pris-
oner, and he is certainly shown beyond
doubt that he does not understand
French. This peasant might easily make a
mistake, for it would be difficult to recog-
nize man whom he saw only once and
then in different uniform from the one
he now wears. The prisoner looks like
a Russian, his papers are addressed to
the Cars Admiral, and think we had
better allow him to proceed
No, no, was the cry that arose from
a hundred voices at once, 'fwe are not
yet satisfied and he shall not 90 until we
aren
but are we to take the risk of offend
ing the Russians byinterfering with one
of.their dispatch bearers 20
The que rillas agreed that they did
not dare to act in opposition to the Car,
at the same time they were not yet con-
WINGED Of the nationality of the man
they suspected he might be a French spy.
i'll spite Of appearances Accordingly he
was conducted to a vault beneath the
chapel and locked in.
A hard ride of many hours over rough
roads, added to the agony of mind which
he had endured during his examination,
had so exhausted poor Lackinsky, that
he sank upon heap of straw in one cor
ner Of his prison, and. was soon sound
asleep.
Two hours elapsed, when the door was
softly opened, and some one entered A
gentle tap on the shoulder aroused the
young lieutenant, and woman's gentle
voice whispered: 8" F0ule=-g0ats SOupc7.
K5nsi, mr."
Heavy with sleep, the prisoner fancied
himself, for moment, with his mess at |
Madrid The fearful ordeal lasted only
a single nom mt, for, looking up and
was recalled to him by the darkness of /
his cell, which served the double purpose
of concealing lis doubt and surprise. |.
His presence of mind did not desert him |
even then. and he inquired, in German,
what was wanted of him. Without an
other word, the woman disappeared.
When reporting this test to his com
'ades, Castanos added, with a coarse